This is the continuation of the series, Antichrist And His Ten Kingdoms – By Albert Close and the previous post, The Church of Rome Ignores the Challenge to Disprove She is the Great Whore of Revelation Chapter 17.

Revelation 17:5  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

This verse, as stated in previous notes, implies that this great Harlot Church would have daughter harlot churches co-existing with herself.

Undoubtedly this refers to Ritualistic and apostate Churches, and especially to the High Church sections of the Churches of England and Scotland, and to the Greek and Eastern Churches, which all teach and practice many of the Church of Rome’s doctrines and abominations, and conform to much of her ritual. In hundreds of Churches in England and Scotland today, the High Church clergymen, contrary to the law, celebrate mass, hear confessions, offer up prayers for the dead, burn incense, creep to and adore the cross, and conduct the services arrayed in the millinery, robes and colours of the Church of Rome. In short, they are reviving the very Romish doctrines, ritual and abominations which were cast out at the Reformation.

FAITHFUL MEN IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

Nowhere is this apostasy more deeply deplored than in the Church of England herself, where thousands of godly ministers and laymen are striving might and main to stem the rising tide of Romanism.

Since 1851, according to Roman Catholic records, over 580 High Church clergymen have been “made drunk” with Romish superstition, and have gone over to Rome. On the other hand, only forty-eight have gone over from all other Protestant Churches. Over 6,000, some authorities say 9,000, out of a total of 24,000 Church of England clergymen are practicing Romish rites or belong to ritualistic societies, from which perverts are flocking to Rome.

In the following pages are shown some of the Romish rites which are being practiced in the High Churches in England today.

Most of the Bishops are High Churchmen, who wink at and even encourage the rising tide of Romish practices in their churches. God only knows where it will end.

In 1866, Rev. Dr. F. G. Lee, a High Church Anglican clergyman, who afterwards joined the Church of Rome, wrote on p. 180 in his volume of Essays on the Re-union of Christendom:

Speaking of his life as a Mirfield Monk in the Church of England, “Father” Hugh Benson (son of a former Archbishop of Canterbury), who went over to Rome in 1908, informed a Roman Catholic audience in St. George’s Hall, Liverpool, in October, 1907, that whilst still in the Church of England;—

A GREAT SATANIC REVIVAL.

This terrible revival of Romanism in this most Protestant land of all, is no mere passing temper or mood of the High Church party. It is that terrible Satanic revival which is to precede the Second Advent, and which is foretold in Rev. 16:13,14.

Revelation 16:13-14 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. {14} For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Our best commentators regard these three spirits as the three phases of the great final Satanic revival, first, of Paganism and Pantheism, under the guise of New Theology, Bahaism, Theosophism, Spiritualism, etc., etc., as originating and proceeding from the devil, under the symbol of the dragon, the symbol in Scripture of Paganism.

This is manifested today in the drawing together of New Theology, Spiritualism, Pantheism, Bahaism, and other Eastern Pagan religions, which are beginning to teach that one spirit animates all. So it is one “spirit,” but it is not the Spirit of God; it is a Satanic deceiving spirit. This explains why these strange heresies so mightily grip men, and firmly convince them that error is truth, and truth is error, or in other words perverts and inverts their spiritual vision. All this in direct opposition to the clear and emphatic teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, who said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father but by Me” (John 14:6).

HEATHEN RELIGIONS AND SALVATION.

Of course the Scriptures do not teach that the members of false religions will not be saved. In fact the Apostle Paul clearly teaches that the heathen will be judged by the light they have had in their own hearts and consciences. If a heathen has acted up to the light he has had in his own heart, God, who sees and knows the hearts of all men, will doubtless judge such men according to what He knows they would have done, had they heard of and known Christ. In such cases these souls will enter the kingdom of heaven through the merits of the atonement of Christ, just as we who have the fullness of gospel light will. See Rom. 2:12—16. That heathen religions are Divine in origin and character, as some men are teaching today, is quite another question; in fact their fruits show them to be the opposite. The same applies to the Church of Rome.

(Webmaster’s note: The preceding paragraph teaches a doctrine I have not heard in any church I’ve ever been to and especially not in Baptist churches. Let the reader decide if it’s so or not. One thing I know for sure, once a person hears the Gospel of Jesus Christ, their eternal fate is determined by whether they receive it or reject it.)

The Romish revival proceeds from the “Beast,” which we have seen in Rev. 17:3 prefigures the Satanic Papal power.

This probably refers particularly to the rising tide of Papal political power in Protestant lands, seeing it proceeds from the “Beast,” the symbol of political power. Since 1815, Rome’s political power has been mounting higher and higher in Protestant Britain and America. On the other hand, it has been all but extinguished in Papal countries, especially in Europe.

The “false prophet” spirit is regarded by Elliott, Wordsworth, Guinness, and other great expositors, as the Romish religious revival in Protestant lands, which has manifested itself especially in the ritualistic movement in Protestant churches simultaneously with the rise of Romish political power in Protestant lands. This “spirit” does not prefigure the Mohammedan revival, as the author at one time believed and wrote. That power is prefigured under another symbol in earlier chapters in Revelation. A “false prophet” in Scripture is one who in Christ’s name preaches and proclaims a false message as divine truth. See Matt. 7:22, 23; Matt. 24:11.

This “false prophet” is intimately associated with the “beast” all through his history, and like him symbolizes a dynastic body, and not an individual “false prophet.” The Church of Rome has about 500,000 priests at the present time, all proclaiming a false and apostate message to be Divine truth. When we remember that this mighty body of “false prophets” has existed for centuries in unbroken succession, and has misled and deceived untold millions of souls in every land, the reason for its awful doom as depicted in Rev. 19 will be apparent.

All three of these powers, or agencies, are witnessing at the present time a wonderful revival, and according to verse 14, their power is to mount higher and higher as the end approaches, just as an expiring candle flares up just before going out. They are to “work miracles,” or in other words, achieve such a measure of success, and in all ranks and stations of society, that it will seem like a real miracle.

What this really means only the future can reveal. Our best commentators regard it as a prediction which refers to a time of sore trial and sifting of the Church of Christ; to a time when the powers of Rationalism, Atheism, Socialism,* Romanism, and Pantheism and Paganism, under the guise of New Theology, Spiritualism, and other counterfeits of Christianity, will almost overwhelm the Church of Christ.

* The author distinguishes between the Social Reform spirit and Socialism. The former is Divine in origin and character, and its advocates (some of whom are outside the churches) labour amongst the poor, and by self-sacrifice do their part to help the down-trodden and discouraged. The latter is Satanic in origin and character, and its advocates in most instances are openly Atheistic in doctrine. Its advocates are, as a rule, fierce “fighters,” who profess great concern for the poor, but never go near them in their homes when in trouble and in need. The author has found this literally true, after traveling all over Britain, and after having repeatedly challenged Socialist agitators to produce evidence of having done any practical work amongst the poor.

Napoleon, it is said, once dressed some French buglers in Prussian uniforms and sent them into the Prussian lines to sound a retreat, thus causing great confusion.

So in the Christian Church there are preachers who are simply Atheists in a white tie and ministerial gown; men who know nothing of Divine revelation experimentally, polished, scholarly men, and in high positions very often, but men who are preachers by profession and not by Divine calling. In these lie the peril of the future, as the unthinking multitudes mistake them for the “broad-minded” ambassadors of Christ.

These are the men whom Jesus Christ has foretold us will come to Him at the Great Day and plead: “Lord, Lord, we have prophesied (or preached) in Thy name,” &c., and to whom He has said He will answer: “I never knew you, depart from Me,” &c.

Certainly the Scriptures warrant us in concluding that at the close of this age, and the Second Coming of Christ, as at His First Coming in the flesh, religious faith will be at a very low ebb.

The present generation of Christians may be those who will be “hungry, sick, naked, and in prison,” during the coming time of trial, when forces which are fast coming to the front shall gain the upper hand and overthrow all organized government. See Dan. 12;1,10; Luke 21:25,28; and Rev. 16:18.

(Continued in Our Position Today in the Divine Programme as Revealed in Prophecy.)

All sections of Antichrist And His Ten Kingdoms by Albert Close

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